What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Approximately 2:25 pm at a height of 500 ft. privacy data omitted Had a complete engine failure (reason unknown at this point). He was approximately 6.5 km from the airport along the longboat key shoreline. The initial indication was a yaw and immediately an engine out audio. privacy data omitted Immediately lowered the collective and began an autorotation while looking for a sutable landing area. At that point he noted that the tach generator was winding down toward zero and the rotor was in the green. He was assured that the aircraft was in trim and I was holding 65 mph on the airspeed. The autorotation was in parameters and he picked a safe landing area where there were no people for several hundred yards. I began my deceleration at 75 ft. he then pulled approximately ½ inch of up collective and pitched for a level condition at 15 ft. privacy data omitted Then began to cushion the decent with increasing collective and made a very gentle touchdown on the sand. The ground run was minimal but the helicopter dug into the extremely soft sand and the main rotor struck the tail rotor drive shaft cover and severed the tail rotor drive shaft.
As the FAA filed it
APPROXIMATELY 2:25 PM AT A HEIGHT OF 500 FT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ HAD A COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE (REASON UNKNOWN AT THIS POINT). HE WAS APPROXIMATELY 6.5 KM FROM THE AIRPORT ALONG THE LONGBOAT KEY SHORELINE. THE INITIAL INDICATION WAS A YAW AND IMMEDIATELY AN ENGINE OUT AUDIO. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ IMMEDIATELY LOWERED THE COLLECTIVE AND BEGAN AN AUTOROTATION WHILE LOOKING FOR A SUTABLE LANDING AREA. AT THAT POINT HE NOTED THAT THE TACH GENERATOR WAS WINDING DOWN TOWARD ZERO AND THE ROTOR WAS IN THE GREEN. HE WAS ASSURED THAT THE AIRCRAFT WAS IN TRIM AND I WAS HOLDING 65 MPH ON THE AIRSPEED.THE AUTOROTATION WAS IN PARAMETERS AND HE PICKED A SAFE LANDING AREA WHERE THERE WERE NO PEOPLE FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED YARDS. I BEGAN MY DECELERATION AT 75 FT. HE THEN PULLED APPROXIMATELY ½ INCH OF UP COLLECTIVE AND PITCHED FOR A LEVEL CONDITION AT 15 FT. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ THEN BEGAN TO CUSHION THE DECENT WITH INCREASING COLLECTIVE AND MADE A VERY GENTLE TOUCHDOWN ON THE SAND. THE GROUND RUN WAS MINIMAL BUT THE HELICOPTER DUG INTO THE EXTREMELY SOFT SAND AND THE MAIN ROTOR STRUCK THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT COVER AND SEVERED THE TAIL ROTOR DRIVE SHAFT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.